The Tale Of A Small Town Bluenette
by Naru-chan-chan
Summary: Dawn has always dreamed of becoming a Pokémon trainer... Traveling across Sinnoh... Taking on the gyms... Maybe even challenging the Pokémon League! Too bad no one told her she'd also have to deal with a team of nuts determined to conquer the world...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I've been playing a lot of Pokémon lately. I've always wanted to do a novelization of one of the games, and to be honest, I had a really hard time deciding just which one I wanted to do. In the end, I decided to settle upon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. It's quite possibly my favorite game in the series, and I adore most of the characters so much that it was impossible for me to resist. With any luck, you guys won't find this work to be too bad, and I hope you all enjoy the spin I try to take on this… So without any further ado.

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKéMON in any way, shape or form! Remember that as you read, as this disclaimer will not appear again in future chapters.**_

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER 1<span>**

_The screams of the crowd grew louder and began to echo throughout the arena. Some of the spectators were calling out my name, cheering loudly as if chanting it would give me a sudden burst of power I needed to dominate my opponent. Others in the arena were simply screaming at the top of their lungs, as if it was truly the most exciting moment of their lives. Of course, it very well could have been. It's not every day that you get to see the championship match, you know?_

_Despite their loud cheering, I could barely make anything else out. The usual world around me was gone, completely non-existent to the situation that stood before me. I had pulled myself into my own world, a world where only my Pokémon companions and a strange, blonde-haired woman staring intently at the battlefield existed. We were fighting, that much is clear. But I didn't have the slightest clue as to what the reason actually was. All I knew was that I HAD to win… The desire to taste the ultimate victory was burning deeply in my heart._

_It had been a long battle. Both my opponent and I were down to our final Pokémon. The battle would end at any moment. Without any warning or hesitation, our Pokémon charged and clashed into each other. A violent storm of dust erupted from the clash, making it very difficult for me to focus on the battlefield. Slowly the clouds began to fade, making it possible to see the silhouette of my opponent who was standing very still, gripping a ball in her left hand tightly. The cheering crowd grew dead-silent. The entire arena was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Slowly, the dust began to clear. The shadowy figures of our Pokémon began to show through the dust. The announcer's voice suddenly began to boom of the stadium's speakers._

"**THE BATTLE IS OVER! THE WINNER IS…"**

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><p><em>BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!<em>

"Mrgh… And just when this one was getting good…"

Slowly, a hand reached out from the bed and slapped a button on the alarm clock to silence its rather annoying beeping sound. Dawn glared at the clock with contempt, quite annoyed that the object had ruined yet another exciting dream. It had been this way for quite some time now. Every night, the girl would have an amazing dream about an intense battle. Both she and her opponent would be on their final Pokémon… both of them putting everything they had been fighting for on the line. The problem was that the dream always ended on a cliff-hanger. Not once had the girl actually seen the results of the battle, something that she found to be becoming quite infuriating. To make matters worse, she had never actually seen her opponent's face in the dreams, much less what Pokémon she had been using in the battle. Besides all that, her dreams were the only way to truly experience such excitement and thrills.

You see, Dawn did not actually possess a single Pokémon in reality. She was _NOT_ a trainer… something that she was forced to face every day of her life.

With a heavy sigh, Dawn climbed out of her bed and headed for the bathroom, where she began her morning routine. Well, except for the part where she had to get ready for school. Thankfully, it was Saturday, so there was no school to worry about today.

After finishing her shower and getting dressed, Dawn began to brush the tangles from her dark, blue hair. She had just finished putting her favorite barrettes in her hair, when her mother's voice echoed through the house.

"_Dawn! Your friend is here to see you!"_

"Be right down, mom!" Dawn shouted in response.

Quickly, the girl put her signature, white hat on her head and her favorite red scarf around her neck. She gave herself a quick onceover in the mirror, making sure that everything was in order, before she hastily made her way downstairs.

As Dawn arrived on the bottom floor of the house, she found her blonde friend staring intently at the television. She had never seen the boy so still in her entire life. Quietly, Dawn slipped beside her mother who was just as fascinated with the boy's focus.

"How long as Barry been sitting like that?" she asked curiously.

"I offered him to come in and wait while you finished getting ready. I was watching Rowan's program and he just became totally engrossed by it," her mother, Joanna, answered. She looked back at her daughter and smiled. "You remember the professor, right?"

Dawn looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded. "Yeah… He was studying Pokémon evolution or something like that… right?"

Her mother nodded.

_"'Pokemon are by our side, always. I hope you will understand the meaning of those words.' That was the comment left by Prof. Rowan, who has returned to Sinnoh from the Kanto region. That concludes our special program, 'Let's Ask Prof. Rowan!' Brought to you by Jubilife TV on Nationwide Net! See you next week, same time!"_

The show on the television came to an end. Once the credits started to roll, the trance that the screen seemed to have over Barry came to an end as he jumped to his feet and spun around. His eyes widened brightly as he spotted Dawn and quickly ran towards the girl with a wide grin on his face.

"Finally! I was wondering if you were gonna come down!" the hyper boy shouted.

"Um… Barry? I've been down here for a bit… You were so into that television though…" Dawn explained.

The boy shook his head quickly head. "Don't worry about that! Have you heard? Professor Rowan is visiting the lake! I bet he's got a ton of Pokémon! Maybe he might even give some away! Don't you know what that could mean?"

Dawn smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. However, she shook her head sadly at the same time. "Barry, I don't think he'll just give any Pokémon he ha—"

"There's no time! Come on, we gotta hurry down to the lake before he leaves!" Barry interrupted, if he had even been paying attention to the blue-haired girl at all. "I'll be waiting for you at the entrance to the town. If you're late, I'm gonna fine you a million bucks!"

Before Dawn could even reply, Barry shoved past the girl and ran out the front door, but at least not without offering a "thanks" to her mother for her hospitality. Dawn sighed, shaking her head slowly.

"If only he put some of that energy to other things…" she said.

Joanna laughed. "Why don't you go ahead and go with him, Dawn? This is your year, after all."

In the past, Pokémon trainers used to be able to begin their journeys at the age of ten. However in Sinnoh, a law was recently passed that bumped that age back to fourteen. It was rather discouraging to Dawn and Barry. Mostly because the law was passed just one year before they were to reach the legal age. However, many people in the Sinnoh region thought that education was just as important, if not more so than Pokémon training.

At first, Dawn's mother had been against her even training upon reaching that age. The woman felt that it would be far more beneficial to Dawn to completely finish schooling all together before embarking on the path of a trainer. It had taken Dawn a while, but she was finally allowed to go on her journey when she turned fourteen, and only then if she managed to make nothing, but the highest of marks on her school work.

It had been a long, hard wait, but the time was finally upon her. And now that it was, she realized just how intimidating it sort of was. The girl gradually came to realize that obtaining and raising a Pokémon properly would require a lot of skill, dedication, work, and time… something that her mother made sure to stress every time the girl would ask and beg to start a journey when she became fourteen.

A part of Dawn resented her mother for being that way. However, she understood her feelings just as well. The girl had heard stories of her father leaving to become a trainer himself... and after all this time he had never returned. Perhaps that was why her mother was so resistant to allow her to begin her journey. This of course, brought into question about why she eventually relented.

"Dawn? Honey, are you alright?"

Her mother's calling caused Dawn to snap out of her thoughts, shaking her head quickly as she glanced back at her mom.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" the girl insisted. "I better go catch up to Barry. I'll be back in a while, okay?"

The girl waved to her mother and began to head for the front door.

"Oh, Dawn! Remember not to go into the tall grass! Wild Pokémon live there and they may not hesitate to attack you!" her mother warned quickly. "Especially since you don't have one of your own yet…"

"Don't worry, mom! I'll remember!" the girl promised as she stepped out the door and shut it behind her.

Joanna sighed, chuckled to herself. _She's just like you… She's really growing up._

A cool breeze blew through the air as Dawn stepped out into the morning light. Taking a deep breath, the girl stepped off her front porch and took a look around the town. Various members of the small town of Twinleaf were busy talking amongst themselves. Some of the younger children were busy playing in the piles of snow that had yet to melt from the warming temperatures. And if one listened closely, they would be able to hear the happy chirping of a flock of Starly as they soared overhead.

Yes, everything seemed to be as usual in the town of Twinleaf… all except for the fact that Barry was nowhere to be found. Dawn looked around her house, making sure the eager boy wasn't simply hiding instead, waiting to jump out and scare her if the opportunity presented itself. (After all, he had done so several times in the past.) One of the locals must have noticed this, as they called out to her, gaining her attention.

"Are you looking for Barry?" he asked. Dawn nodded. "He was waiting around the entrance to the town a moment ago, and then he ran back to his house shouting about forgetting something… Might wanna go try there."

Dawn thanked her neighbor and made her way towards Barry's house. Such behavior was typical of her friend. There were times that she would swear that the boy would forget his own head if It was not attached to his neck.

Within moments she was at his house. She had just begun to reach for the knob, when suddenly the door swung open and Barry came charging through. He collided into Dawn without so much of a second thought, causing both to fall back on their behinds. Barry had been clumsily cramming things into a bag as he rammed into Dawn, causing several of the contents to empty out onto the ground.

"What was that for? Watch where you're going!" Barry snapped, before realizing that it was his friend that he had plowed into. His eyes widened and he smiled quickly with a faint blush on his cheeks. "Dawn! You're late! I was starting to think you weren't coming!"

Dawn sighed, watching as the boy scrambled to collect his various belongings. "It's only been a few minutes, Barry… But… what's all this stuff?"

Barry's eyes lit up as he stuffed a journal into his bag. "My supplies! A trainer has to be ready at any moment, especially when starting their journey!"

"But, Barry! We don't even kn—"

"No time!" The boy had already scrambled to his feet. Without even offering to help the girl to his feet, the boy had already taken off for the edge of town. "If you're late, it's gonna cost ya $1 million dollars!"

Dawn was beginning to feel quite annoyed with her best friend as she climbed back to her feet and dusted off her pink skirt. It was quite natural to see the boy excited. However Barry seemed to have even more energy than normal today… something that was beginning to take its toll on the blue-haired girl.

"Alright, you're here!" Barry shouted as Dawn arrived at his location. "Now, let's get going!"

Without even a second thought, the boy grabbed her by the wrist and began to drag her to the right… right towards the tall grass, to be exact. Not wasting a moment, Dawn yanked her wrist free from Barry's grasp and glared at him.

"What in the world are you doing? You know better than that!" the girl scolded.

Barry gave his friend a confused look. "Know better than what?"

Dawn groaned and pointed towards the grass. The boy spun around and looked in the direction his friend was pointing. His eyes lit up as a chuckle escaped his lips.

"What's so funny?" Dawn asked.

"You are. Don't worry, there's not gonna be anything to worry about," Barry replied. "I know a way we can make it through that grass, even if we don't have Pokémon of our own, no problem!"

Dawn raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "How can it not be a problem, Barry?"

"Simple! Here's what we do!" Barry looked around and leaned in close, as if he was telling the girl his most prized secret. "You know how wild Pokémon like to jump out at you? All we have to do is dash through using like, super-ninja-type-stealth! We'll run so fast, the Pokémon won't even get a chance!"

Dawn sighed, rubbing her eyes wearily. "Barry… That's not gonna wo—"

"Trust me! It'll be great!" Barry insisted, ignoring Dawn's warning. He backed up, and crouched down as if preparing to run a relay race. "On your marks…"

"Barry, please…"

"Get set…"

"GO!"

"BAR-"

"**HOLD IT!"**

The sudden shouting of a voice that belonged to neither Dawn nor Barry caused both teens to stop dead in their tracks. A shiver ran down Dawn's spine as she and Barry turned to face the owner of the voice. They both knew that they were probably in some sort of trouble… But they never imagined the person that busted them would be none other than Professor Rowan himself!

"You two… You don't seem to have a single Pokémon between you. Am I right?" the Professor asked. Both teens shook their heads, confirming his suspicion. "So… Would you mind telling me what in the world you two were thinking? Going into the tall grass alone… How incredibly foolish."

Barry stared in disbelief at the man. Slowly, he backed away to fall beside Dawn and elbowed her gently as he leaned in close.

"Hey, Dawn… This guy… Is this old man really _**THE**_ Professor Rowan?" he asked in a rather loud whisper. "What's he doing here?"

Dawn gave her friend an annoyed glance.

"Of course it is! You're the one who said he was coming down to the lake today…" she answered. "Although I don't think that matters either way. There's no way he'll give us a Pokémon now."

"Oh, crap! You don't think he'll refuse now, right? Wait, I know! What if we catch him a rare Pokémon and offer him a trade?"

"With what?"

Unknown to the kids as they talked amongst themselves, Rowan was listening intently to the kids' conversation. The Professor eventually closed his eyes, and began to think deeply about the situation… eventually blocking the conversation from his mind.

_These two kids… They attempted to go into the tall grass in order to get Pokémon… To do something so reckless, they must truly want to begin the walk down the path of a trainer… However, could I truly send them down that path? It is one not easily traveled, one full of joy, excitement, sadness, and many hardships. Their world would truly change if I was to allow this to happen... Is this really the right thing to do?_

The man slowly opened his eyes and cleared his throat. This brought a quick and sudden end to Barry and Dawn's conversation, as both teens focused their eyes upon Rowan's stern gaze.

"You two…" Rowan began, his gaze drifting from Dawn, over towards Barry, and then back to Dawn again. "You truly value Pokémon… Am I correct?"

"I… I do," Dawn answered, shifting in place slightly. Feeling Rowan's gaze upon her made her feel quite nervous, but she answered honestly nonetheless.

"Me too! I totally love them too!" Barry sounded in, his voice much more energetic than Dawn's.

Dawn watched as the man's moustache twitched a bit. Was he smiling?

"I'll ask you both once more." Rowan said. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You both truly value Pokémon?"

"Are you kidding me?" Barry snapped. A tone of disbelief hung in his voice, as if there shouldn't have been any room for doubt in their previous answers. "You could ask a million times and the answer would always be the same! We both love Pokémon!"

"Yes… Yes, that's right!" Dawn chipped in, meeting the Professor's gaze with a stern one of her own.

"I see…" the professor sighed as he began to stroke his chin. "A pair of kids who recklessly try to charge into tall grass without any Pokémon of their own…? I must say, it worries me with what people like that might do with Pokémon…"

Barry's eyes fell downcast to the ground, his feet shuffling around in the dirt slowly.

"W-Well… You see…" he began to stammer. He looked up slowly, facing Rowan eye to eye. Suddenly he gave the man a firm nod and grabbed Dawn by the wrist once more. "Then… Forget about me! But please, at least give my friend a Pokémon!"

Dawn's eyes widened at the boy's comment. "…Barry?"

He looked at his friend, slowly shaking his head. "It was me who tried to go into the tall grass and everything. Dawn was just trying to stop me. I should've listened, but… well, I just didn't."

"How big of you…" The look on Rowan's face had changed. He was quite surprised at Barry's honesty of the situation. Slowly, his surprise disappeared and a warm-hearted smile graced his lips. "Very well! I have decided that I will trust you both with a Pokémon! I apologize for putting you both through such an exercise."

Upon hearing the man's decision, both Dawn and Barry gasped in surprise. The girl couldn't help, but start to smile wide as she felt the excitement building up within her. Before the two could begin celebrating though, a sternly-voiced "however" caused them both to freeze in their tracks.

"You two must promise me that you two will never recklessly endanger yourselves again. Remember, that while you and your Pokémon are team! You must not use their power only for your safety, but for their safety as well." Rowan stressed. Both of them nodded at his comment, and Rowan nodded back. "Alright then… Now where did I put those…"

Dawn watched the man curiously as he began to look around, as if he had lost something very important. Then, as if rehearsed, a boy her age came running towards the professor. He was carrying a rather large and fancy briefcase. His most distinguishing feature however, was the red beret on his head and white scarf wrapped tightly around his neck.

"Professor Rowan, you forgot your briefcase back at the lake when you took off like that…" the boy called out. He paused as he looked up, noticing both Dawn and Barry for the first time. "Uh… Is something wrong?"

"Ah, there it is. Thank you, Lucas." Rowan replied as he took the briefcase from the boy. "Now to answer your question, everything is just fine. I was about to entrust these two with a Pokémon of their own."

Lucas' eyes widened in surprise at the man's statement. "Professor… Are you sure about this? These are rare Pokémon, after all. They're quite hard to replace…"

Barry rolled his eyes and began to fidget a bit impatiently at Lucas' words, but the smile remained on Rowan's lips. "Luca… We live together in this world with Pokémon. I firmly believe that there's a time when one should meet a Pokémon and they should form a bond as they travel down the road of life together. Today is that time for these two, and that path has presented itself to them."

Lucas gave a firm nod at the man before smiling at the two. Rowan turned back to face the kids and sat his briefcase down on the ground. The professor opened the clasps on the briefcase, causing it to fling open.

"Alright then… Dawn. Barry. Go ahead and choose!"

Barry couldn't believe his ears. "Professor Rowan! You're so awesome! I can barely keep myself from dancing right now!" Smiling, he spun around to face Dawn. "Hey, you choose first!"

"What, really? Are you sure? "Dawn asked. "'Cause I'm not su—"

Barry gave a firm nod as a proud smirk graced his lips. "Of course! Besides, I'm practically a grown up, you know? I need to show a bit of class here!"

Dawn nodded slowly and turned to look into the briefcase. There were a few pins inside of it, as well as some scattered papers, a worn notebook, and last, but not least, three pokéballs. Dawn gave the balls a questionable look.

"Professor?" she began to ask. "How do we know what Pokémon is in what ball?"

"You may choose between Turtwig, Piplup, and Chimchar," the professor explained, pointing to the ball that held each Pokémon in the process.

"I see… Alright then, I choose… this one…" Dawn decided, picking up the ball in the middle. "Chimchar…"

"Awesome! I'll take this Piplup, then!" Barry announced, clutching the ball on the right tightly.

Professor Rowan nodded with a smile and closed the briefcase. "Very nice choices, indeed. I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm afraid that I must be going. I'm quite busy for today." The professor picked his briefcase off the ground and walked past the two teens, but not without stopping a few steps. "Oh, yes… I think perhaps you two should come to my lab in Sandgem Town tomorrow. I'm sure you'll find it to be worth your while."

Dawn and Barry nodded, watching as the professor made his leave. Lucas hurriedly brushed past the two, working to catch up to the man.

"Sorry, folks. Don't mind me!" he said quickly as he passed.

Once the two were out of sight, Barry turned back to Dawn with a thoughtful look on his face. "Wow… Professor Rowan is actually a pretty nice guy… On that TV show of his, he always seems so stern and scary."

Dawn raised an eyebrow to the boy's comment, a sigh escaping her lips. "If you thought that, then why were you going to ask him for a Pokémon?"

"Yeah, well…" Barry replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. His eyes quickly gazed down to the ball in his hands, and a wide smile spread to his lips. "Look, forget about that! We have Pokémon, Dawn! Pokémon! You know what comes next right? Are you ready for this?"

"Um… Sure, I guess," Dawn replied, not sure of where Barry was taking this. "What are we doing?"

"I've _ALWAYS_ wanted to say this…" Barry said in a hushed tone. He was beginning to fidget around even more than usual… and his smile somehow seemed to get even wider… if that was actually possible. "Dawn! I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

Without even waiting for Dawn to reply, the blonde boy pressed a button in the center of his pokéball and launched towards the ground. The ball bounced up into the air and opened up to reveal a small, blue-colored penguin that bounced around squeaking cutely. The creature stared at Dawn intently… or rather, at the ball she held in her hands. Dawn gasped as she felt the ball in her hands shake. Without any warning whatsoever, her ball snapped open and in a flash of light shot out a small, fiery-orange, monkey. Dawn stared at the creature in awe as the Chimchar instinctively stood in a battle stance, screeching in excitement as it glared at the Piplup.

"H-Hey, wait a second!" Dawn shouted, not even sure how her Pokémon emerged from its ball without her command.

Barry ignored her protests though. "Alright, let's go! Piplup, use Pound!"

"Hey, I'm no—" Dawn tried to protest again.

However, this time she was cut-off as the penguin tried to slap its fin at the Chimchar. Luckily, the monkey managed to quickly sidestep, dodging the Piplup's attack at the last moment. Without even waiting, the Chimchar scratched at the Piplup fiercely, causing it to stagger back a bit. Dawn was quite amazed. It seemed that the monkey was ready for battle. So, the girl decided it was time for her to step up to the plate.

"A-Alright, Chimchar! Use another scratch attack!"

Following the girl's command, the Chimchar charged forward and swung at the Piplup with its claws. Barry's eyes widened at the attack as he clutched the ball in his hand tighter.

"Piplup, quick dodge it and Pound!"

The penguin chirped in response and managed to nimbly duck the attack. Following through with the boy's command, Piplup raised up, slapping its fin across the face of Chimchar. The monkey fell back, nearly losing its balance in the process. Without even waiting for another command, the Piplup followed through with another Pound, causing the Chimchar to fall onto its back. Dawn watched with wide eyes as Barry ordered it to use Pound again.

"Chimchar! Quick, roll out of the way!" she ordered.

The Chimchar screeched in affirmation as it quickly rolled out of the way, narrowly dodging the Piplup's attack. The attack missing caused the Piplup to stagger, allowing Dawn an opening she couldn't resist.

"Quick, Chimchar! Scratch it with all you got!"

Not wasting a single moment, the monkey jumped to its feet and charged at the penguin. Before the Piplup could even react, Chimchar unleashed a series of rapid scratches at the creature causing it to stagger back until it eventually fell backwards. The Chimchar stood ready, just in case… But it was over. Barry's Piplup was down for the count.

"Piplup!" Barry shouted, running over to his fallen Pokémon. He knelt down beside it, leaning close to it. "Are you alright?"

The Piplup slowly looked up at its trainer, a weak set of chirps escaping its beak. Barry sighed in relief to see that his new friend was alright and quickly called it back into its pokéball. He slowly climbed to his feet and gave a rather fierce glare at Dawn and the Chimchar… before he suddenly burst into a wide smile.

"Man! That was totally cool! I never thought a Pokémon could be so exciting and intense! I mean, seeing them on TV is one thing! But in real life… Wow!" the boy began to ramble. He paused as he looked Dawn in the eyes. "You were incredible! It's like you've done this sort of thing or something before! I would've never thought you could battle like that!"

Dawn felt a small blush rise to her cheeks as she quickly looked away, shuffling her pink boots in the dirt. "I'm sure I just got lucky… I mean, I totally thought you had us back there when your Piplup was going for that last Pound attack."

Barry seemed quite pleased to get that last bit of praise back from Dawn. However, his smile slowly faded as he held out the ball in his hand. A smirk formed across his lips in its place.

"Dawn… You may have won the first battle, but don't think it's over!" the boy declared. "You're my new rival! And I will definitely win the next battle!"

Without waiting for a response, Barry took off running for his house. She blinked slowly, as she took everything in that had just happened. She met _THE _Professor Rowan, received her very first Pokémon, had both her first battle and victory as a trainer, and now her best friend was suddenly her rival. It really had been quite a busy day.

Slowly, the girl turned back to her Chimchar. She looked down at the monkey who stared back up at her with a confused look on its face. It was then that the true realization finally hit Dawn.

"I'm… I'm a trainer…" she said quietly. "I'm a trainer… A trainer! I'm an actual, honest-to-goodness Pokémon trainer!"

She knelt down and held out her arms towards the Chimchar. The monkey Pokémon looked at her cautiously, before suddenly charging forward and jumping happily into them. Dawn rose to her feet and spun around quickly, causing the Chimchar to squeal in delight and hold onto the girl closely.

"You were so amazing, Chimchar! I was so nervous at the start, but… I think we'll get along just fine!"

The Chimchar squealed happily and climbed out of her arms. Dawn waited with a smile as the monkey seated itself comfortably on her shoulders, before she headed home to her mother. Slowly, but surely her dream was starting to come true.

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><p><strong>AN: **And that's that for the first chapter. I hope you enjoy reading. Please leave a review to let me know what you think, and see you all in the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

The green-haired boy smiled as he eyed his opponent. It had been quite a rather one-sided match. The boy had only lost one of his Pokémon at this point. While his opponent, a young man with blonde hair in a long-red coat and cowboy hat had not been so lucky. He seemed quite tense, something to be expected as he was down to his final Pokémon. On the other hand, a satisfied smirk graced the lips of the green-haired teen as he held a pokéball tightly in his left hand.

"This has been a great match," the green-haired boy said. "Please, don't take it personal. Train hard and try again sometime soon, alright?"

This infuriated the hat-wearing man. "What? You think you're so good, huh? Well it turns out I've saved my best Pokémon for last!"

Without another moment's hesitation, he tossed a pokéball out onto the field with all his might. The ball opened quickly, and in a flash of light appeared a rather anxious looking Electabuzz. The electric Pokémon pounded its fists together as it glared daggers at the green-haired youth. However, this did little to faze him. Smiling, the boy tossed his pokéball out onto the field, allowing the Heracross from inside of it to come blasting out of it.

"Alright, Electabuzz! We have this!" the man shouted. "Quick, let him have it with a Shockwave!"

The Electabuzz grunted in response as electrical sparks began to generate from around its body. With a mighty yell, the creature released a wave of pure electrical energy at the boy's Heracross. The smirk never left the boy's lips however.

"Heracross, let's end this. Close Combat!"

The bug Pokémon charged forward, dashing straight into the electric wave as it was nothing. The man's mouth hung open, unable to think of what to do as his Electabuzz's attack seemed to have no effect whatsoever. Quickly, he managed to snap back to his senses… but it was too late. Before he could issue out another command, the boy's Heracross had already unleashed a series of unblockable punches on to the Electabuzz. With one final uppercut, the Heracross sent the Electabuzz flying backward. It slammed into the nearby wall with great force, causing the electric Pokémon to collapse to the floor instantly.

**"The winner of this match… Aaron, of the Elite Four!"**

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><p>Shortly after the match had ended, Aaron was relaxing with a cold soda. The room he was in was a bright, cafeteria-like lounge of sorts. Nothing too fancy, but it was the sort of place that easily met his style.<p>

"Good work on your match today, child," an elderly voice called out. Aaron turned to face the owner of the voice, a small woman dressed in earthy tones. She slowly took a seat beside the boy, sighing in satisfaction as she put her feet up. "It has been quite enjoyable watching you and your Pokémon become stronger day by day.

Aaron took a sip of his soda, waving his free hand airily. "Thanks, but it wasn't a big deal. I knew he was finished when it took five members of his team to bring down my Scizor."

"That's the attitude I like to hear! But how about maybe throwing the match next time? Maybe that way I can finally get some action!" another voice chimed in.

The owner of this one belonged to a young man in his twenties. He was wearing a yellow shirt with black pants. However his most stand-out feature was his hair. It was bright red in color, kept up in a rather large afro style.

"Don't be foolish, Flint." Bertha scoffed. "We do not lose on purpose!"

Flint laughed. "Relax, grams. I was just kidding. Besides, it's not Aaron's style to lose like that."

Aaron gave a quiet nod. "Cynthia assigned me to be the first tier. If you want to change the order up, you have to take it up with her as I don't intend to lose any time soon!"

"You might want to take care that you don't let your status go to your head, Aaron," yet another voice chimed in. This time the voice belonged to a man with strange purple hair and eyes. He wore a rather elegant suit that was the color of red wine, with thick, black-framed glasses on his face. "When one becomes too proud, that is when his power and skill begin to weaken… in both body and mind."

Aaron smiled innocently. "I know… I simply aim for perfection, that's all. It would be a disgrace to the Elite Four if I didn't."

"Still… I'd love to see some new faces around here, you know?" Flint sighed as he took a seat at the table with Bertha and Aaron. "We get the same kind of trainers all the time. They always manage to talk big, but when the time comes, they go down without even a fight…"

Lucian sighed, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose. "I must agree with you on that one. The lack of skilled trainers has been growing quite a bit lately… most disheartening."

Aaron frowned at Lucian and Flint's comments. He knew they both were speaking the truth. It seemed that the matches he had been fighting over time grew shorter and shorter… The Electabuzz his Heracross took out with one attack was just one example of that, and it seemed that such battles were beginning to become quite numerous.

Bertha closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly. "I believe there are such trainers out there. If there's anything I learned in all my years, it is that this world is full of limitless potential. All it requires is patience."

"You're correct as usual, Bertha. I appreciate your sagely advice," Lucian said with a smile towards the elderly woman.

"Let's just hope it happens soon," Aaron chimed in. "I don't want to start getting rusty."

Flint rolled his eyes. "Kinda high hoping, don't ya think? We're the Elite Four! The best of the best! What are the chances of some nobody, average, run-of-the-mill trainer showing up and kicking all of our asses like there's no tomorrow?"

Bertha narrowed her eyes at Flint as a smirk graced her lips. "I seem to remember such a thing happened not too long ago, fool..."

The young man rubbed his head sheepishly, as he went to the vending machine for a drink...

* * *

><p>The Roserade closed its eyes, focusing all of its might into the form of a bright green sphere made of pure energy. Without a moment of warning, the Pokémon's eyes snapped open and it launched the ball towards a nearby mound of rock. The energy collided into it, causing the top half of the boulder to crumble as it was split in two. A graceful smile graced the lips of a tall, blonde woman as she walked forward, patting the creature on the head.<p>

"Good work, Roserade," the woman said quietly, as she called the plant Pokémon back into its ball.

With the obstacle clear, the woman decided to continue her descent of the path that led towards Victory Road. The cave would be dark, but the woman knew the path very well, and such conditions made for excellent training for her Pokémon.

"Miss Champion! Please, wait!" a voice called out, gaining her attention. The woman turned, looking over her shoulder as a young boy dressed in a matching green shirt and shorts ensemble came running towards her. "Miss Champion..."

"Cynthia will suffice," the woman said calmly. "Is everything alright?"

He nodded. "I'm just surprised to see you here... When I heard a voice coming from down here at the base of the falls... I never imagined it would belong to the Champion!"

Cynthia brushed some of her hair behind her ears. A small smile gracing her lips. "Even a champion needs to train. I work hard for my skills just as you do."

"I understand... I just thought you'd be at the league..." he mused. "I heard there was a new challenger."

"Is there now?" the woman asked, despite knowing it to be true. "Well, it seems I'm currently slacking on my duties. I apologize."

The young boy quickly shook his head. A light blush came to his cheeks as he looked away from the woman.

"I... I didn't mean it like that..." he said in a hushed tone.

"No... I thank you," the woman said.

Cynthia pulled out a pokéball, releasing a Togekiss from within. She gave the boy a kind nod, before climbing onto the creatures back and soaring back towards the impressive looking building the Elite Four and herself called home. Once outside the building, she called the Togekiss back into its ball and walked briskly through the doors.

It was quiet inside... In fact, the lobby was completely empty of any trainers, save for Lucian who was standing by the back door with a pleasant smile upon his face.

"Lucian...?" she called out in a calm voice.

"Welcome back... I trust you had a pleasant outing?" he asked.

Slowly, Cynthia sighed. "I see... The challenger has been taken care of."

"Yes. Aaron performed quite well, as usual... Nothing major to report."

Cynthia nodded and walked over to a nearby couch. She gracefully seated herself, being joined shortly by Lucian.

"Where is Aaron?" Cynthia questioned. "And the others as well?"

"I'm not too sure about Bertha. I believe she is still around here somewhere. Aaron mentioned something about training in the Frontier for a few days... And Flint is at Sunnyshore for a few days, I'm sure."

Cynthia nodded slowly. She crossed her legs in a dignified manner as she reclined into the sofa. She glanced at Lucian from the corner of her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" he questioned.

The champion shook her head. "No... I was just thinking. Perhaps with everyone taking some time off, I should take a small break myself."

"Cynthia... I'm sure you are quite aware that your title and duties make that quite difficult," Lucian sighed. "If not impossible."

She gave a casual shrug to the Elite Four member. "That does little to change my mind, Lucian. I has been quite a while since my services were last required. Besides, if Aaron is not capable of stopping the challenge, Bertha has been more than adequate at ending the process."

Lucian pushed the glasses up on his face, giving the woman a curious glance. "I see... Where do you wish to go to at this time? Your villa in Unova? Perhaps Olivine in Johto?"

Cynthia shook her head. "No, nothing like that... I have no intention of leaving Sinnoh, Lucian. It has been so long since I have actually traveled the region. I do miss it so."

"I see... As a champion, that would still prove quite difficult," Lucian mused.

"I have no intention of carrying that title with me as I travel," Cynthia explained. "I will merely be... myself, a Pokémon trainer from Celestic Town."

"...You are quite lucky, Cynthia..." Lucian said quietly as he rose to his feet. He could feel the woman's gaze upon him, and casually glanced over his shoulder. "I happen to be quite capable of handling multiple tasks. Now... If you'll excuse me."

Cynthia smiled as the man disappeared through the back door. She closed her eyes slowly as she leaned further back into the couch, wondering where be a good place to travel to first.

* * *

><p>Getting back home had taken quite a bit of time. It was something that was quite surprising to Dawn, as she and Barry had barely been that far onto Route 201 when they had met Professor Rowan and Lucas. The reason for her delay rest mainly upon the shoulders of one very excitable Chimchar. Once the duo had returned to Twinleaf, the monkey Pokémon soon burst into a frenzy of energy Dawn had only thought capable of Barry. Its eyes seemed to light up with wonder as it leapt off of Dawn's shoulders and began to run around the small town frantically. Squeals and screeches of wonder filled the air as the Chimchar explored, seeing just about everything the town had to offer.<p>

It wasn't so bad at first. In fact, it was kind of amusing to Dawn to see such curiosity held to the everyday things she found to be quite common. However, things shortly started to get out of hand.

It all started when Chimchar had spotted a ball that two small children were amusing themselves with. Normally this wouldn't have been so bad, except for the part where the fire-monkey seemed to assume that the ball was some sort of fruit or something and bit into it like an apple, causing the ball to disappear in a loud pop. This scared the Chimchar to some degree, as it ran away from the now-crying-kids and up into a nearby tree. Dawn tried to coax the little thing down, which worked quite nicely after a few tries… that is, until it spotted her neighbor's laundry hanging on the clothesline to dry.

Naturally, this just begged to be explored. The Chimchar took off for the clothesline, and began to explore the various clothing hanging on the line. Socks and shirts went flying off and into the dirt and grass. A pair of pants somehow managed to land on the roof of the neighbor's house. And the monkey also learned that her undergarments made for a very nice hat… much to Dawn's dismay. Luckily, it seemed that the exploration, combined with the earlier battle with Barry's Piplup was beginning to take its toll on the Chimchar. Once she managed to return the undergarments… and give the parents of the kids who owned the ball some money for a new one, Dawn called the Chimchar back into its ball and finally began to head for home.

"You've really got some energy to burn, huh?" Dawn asked, looking at Chimchar's pokéball as she walked for her house. "I heard that fire-types had energy to spare… Guess I never realized just how much that could be."

Soon, Dawn had reached her front door and smiled as she looked down at the pokéball in her hand. Slipping it behind her back, the girl opened the door with her free hand and stepped inside. A delicious scent filled the air as Dawn shut the door behind her, one that caused Dawn to smile brightly at the familiar scent. Her mother was making her famous spaghetti, one of Dawn's most favorite meals. Without wanting to wait another moment, Dawn pulled her boots off and made her way for the kitchen.

"Mom! I'm home!" the girl announced as she stepped into the kitchen.

Her mom smiled as turned from the stove and greeted her daughter. "Good evening, Dawn! You're just in time. Dinner will be ready shortly."

Dawn smiled, looking at the table and noticed that the table had already been set. She quietly took a seat, making sure to keep the Chimchar's pokéball well-hidden by moving it into her lap. Her mother watched her curiously, but thought nothing of it. Her daughter was a teenager, after all. One being weird would not be far off from normal.

"So, you and Barry were out for quite a while. Did you two have a good time?" she asked.

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, it was a pretty good day. Actually, something pretty important happened while we were out…"

Joanna's eyes went wide. "Did he kiss you?"

Unfortunately for Dawn, she had taken that moment to take a sip of water from her glass that had been sitting on the table. The sudden and most unexpected question caused a storm of coughs to escape from the bluenette's mouth. Thankfully, a napkin was nearby and Dawn was able to cover her mouth with it quickly to catch most of the spewed water.

During the commotion, the ball resting in Dawn's lap managed to roll off her legs and down to the floor. It bounced with a rather loud "thud" sound before rolling under the table, not stopping until it came into contact with Joanna's left foot. A silence filled the air as Dawn stared at her mother, then down to the ball, and back to her mother again. Meanwhile, Joanna kept her attention focused solely on the pokéball.

"Dawn? Is this your pokéball?" the woman asked, kneeling down to pick the ball off the ground.

"Y-Yeah, it is," Dawn answered, a little nervous at what her mother's reaction would be.

"Dawn, why do you have a pokéball?" she questioned.

Dawn rose out of her seat and walked to her mother. She gently took the ball from the woman's hand and smiled a small smile at the woman.

"Well, you see… Barry and I were hanging out on Route 201. You know, over towards the path that leads to Lake Verify. While we were there… well, we happened to run into Professor Rowan." Dawn explained, carefully leaving out the part where Barry had almost charged into the tall grass, dragging Dawn with him. "To make a long story short, he gave us both a Pokémon!"

Without a moment's delay, Dawn pressed the button in the center of the pokéball. The ball flipped open and Chimchar hopped out onto the floor in a flash of red light. The monkey squeaked happily as it scurried up Dawn's shoulders. It popped its head overtop of Dawn's, smiling cheerfully as it spotted Dawn's mother.

"A Chimchar… Professor Rowan truly gave you a Pokémon?" the woman asked.

"Mhm…" Dawn nodded quickly.

Slowly, the woman moved closer to her daughter and lifted the Chimchar off her shoulders. She looked the creature straight in the eyes, receiving a curious glance from the monkey. Dawn took a deep breath, watching as her mother examined the Pokémon and then eventually glance back in her direction.

"Well… I'm happy for you!" her mother said cheerfully.

Dawn's eyes widened. "For real?"

Her mother nodded. Dawn smiled brightly, and wrapped her mother into a tight hug. It warmed the woman's heart to see her daughter so happy, and she returned an equally warm hug. Shortly after, the woman broke the hug and gave the girl a stern and serious look as she made direct contact with Dawn.

"Now… I'm fine with you having your own Pokémon, but there are a few things we need to discuss," her mother began. "First of all, this Chimchar is your responsibility now. You'll need to make sure you take good care of it. Make sure it gets exercise. Clean up after it. Make sure to give it plenty of love and attention. Do you understand me?"

Dawn nodded fiercely. "Of course! I know Chimchar is my responsibility, and I promise I'm going to take good care of it!"

Joanna nodded approvingly of Dawn's answer as the girl held her Chimchar close. She knew that her daughter was a caring and responsible girl. She had raised her to be, after all… And besides, she sort of had to be with a friend like Barry around.

"Now… Tomorrow I also want you to go see Professor Rowan in the morning," her mother said. "It's very important that you thank the professor for giving you Chimchar. His lab is in Sandgem Town. You'll have to go through the tall grass to get there. Now that you have a Pokémon of your own, you should be able to get there without any problems."

"Yes, ma'am," Dawn answered, a wide smile on her lips. "Barry and I were going to head to his lab tomorrow."

Joanna smiled. "Good girl… Now, let's eat."

Dawn returned Chimchar to its ball and enjoyed her favorite meal with her mother. After dinner, the daughter helped her mother with the dishes and kitchen clean-up. Once that was taken care of, the girl excused herself to take a quick shower and freshen up.

Dawn hadn't noticed it earlier, but it had actually been quite a long day… and it was beginning to take its toll upon her. However at the same time, the girl wasn't sure how she would ever manage to fall asleep. She was feeling as giddy as little kid on Christmas Eve.

After her shower, Dawn slipped on her robe and made her way back to her room. When she got there, she saw something resting on top of the bed she wasn't expecting. Sitting next to Chimchar's pokéball was a brand-new, medium-sized duffle bag. The bag was of a yellow hue, with black pokéballs embroidered on the ends. It was quite a fancy bag, something probably cost someone more than just a few dollars.

"Do you like it?" a voice called out, grabbing Dawn's attention.

"Mom… Did you buy me this?" Dawn asked.

Her mother nodded. "Do you like it, though?"

"Yes! Thanks, mom! It's so nice…"Dawn answered, looking back down at the bag. Suddenly, a realization set in… one that could only explain why Joanna had given her something so nice, especially when it wasn't her birthday or a holiday for that matter. "Wait… Mom, does this mean… Does this mean that…?"

"Yes, Dawn…" her mother smiled. "You can become a trainer."

Dawn's eyes widened and she quickly ran to her mother, and hugged her tightly. "Oh! Thank you, mom! Thank you _SOOOO_ much! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!"

"Don't get carried away, now!" Joanna laughed. "Trainers are supposed to be mature, you know."

Dawn blushed and nodded. "You're right… Still, thank you."

Joanna nodded. "You're welcome. Now get to bed. You have a long morning ahead of yourself, and you need to be well rested."

Dawn nodded, and bid "good night" to her mother. The woman shut the door behind her, and Dawn quickly changed from her robe into comfortable nightshirt. Once she had changed, the girl moved to her bed and pressed the button in the middle of the ball, allowing her Chimchar to come out once more. Like usual, the monkey squealed in delight to be from the ball. Dawn smiled at its cheerfulness, but quickly placed a finger to her lips.

The monkey gave Dawn a confused look as she got down on her knees in front of it. She took its smalls hands into her and smiled.

"I can't believe it… I'm a trainer now. And I have my very first Pokémon!" she told the creature in an excited whisper.

She scooped the monkey into her arms and slowly called into bed. Tomorrow, she would head to Sandgem Town with Chimchar and speak with Rowan, thanking him for giving her the Chimchar that had already wormed its way deeply into her heart. As Dawn thought about it however, a sense of worry found its way into Dawn's stomach. What if Rowan changed his mind, and decided he wanted the Pokémon back? What if he decided that she and Barry weren't ready for the responsibility of having Pokémon? Dawn knew her very world would be crushed if such a thing were to happen.

With a quick sigh, Dawn shook the thought out of her head. She was being silly. Professor Rowan was not the sort of person who would do such a thing… so she assumed anyways. He was a smart, kind man… very opposite of his general appearance as Barry had so bluntly pointed out. Dawn decided that whatever happened tomorrow would have to actually wait for tomorrow. It was getting late and now was not the time for such things.

Dawn was snapped out of thoughts as she felt Chimchar squirm free from the girl's grasp. She watched as the Pokémon yawned quietly, before curling up like a cat and slowly falling asleep. Dawn smiled softly at the creature, and then lay back on her pillow. Dawn turned off her lamp before slowly shutting her eyes. As sleep began to overtake her, Dawn realized that her dreams did not seem to be too far off anymore. In fact, it seemed that the dream was slowly becoming a reality. Today was simply her first step…

* * *

><p>The room was faintly lit as a man relaxed with a book in his left hand, and a half filled wine glass in the other. He was a tall and somewhat fearsome looking man, with pale, blue, rather greasy and messy hair and an intimidating glare in his eyes that were lined with deep circles.<p>

The room was fairly quiet… The only sounds within the room being his faint breathing, the occasional turn of a page from the man's novel, and the faint sound of the television program the man was only half-heartedly listening too. A low grunt escaped the man's lips as he lowered his book, taking a moment to rotate his neck. He had been reading for quite some time now, and it was beginning to get stiff.

As he glanced up, he noticed that the television screen had a picture of a familiar man upon it. Frowning in a somewhat disapproving manner, the man reached down for the remote sitting on the end table beside his chair and turned the volume up on the television.

_"'Pokémon are by our side, always. I hope you will understand the meaning of those words.' That was the comment left by Prof. Rowan, who has returned to Sinnoh from the Kanto region. That concludes our special program, 'Let's Ask Prof. Rowan!' Brought to you by Jubilife TV on Nationwide Net! See you next week, same time!"_

"Foolish, sentimental dribble…" the man muttered in disgust as he clicked the television off and rose from his chair. He tossed the remote and his book down into the chair. "A stupid man who thinks he knows so much about people and Pokémon… He's even more infuriating than that ridiculous Oak!"

The man stormed across the room and slammed open the door to the balcony, causing them to smack into the walls in a rather loud manner. The racket caused two men who were standing outside the balcony, as if they were keeping watch of the building to jump in a rather surprised manner. The blue-haired man said nothing as he roughly brushed pashed them, gripping the railing of the balcony tightly in his large, pale hands.

"Sir…? Is everything alright?" one of the guards standing outside asked.

"Everything is fine," the man said in a calm, yet rather dark voice. "I just needed a moment to get some air. Nothing more… If you would please."

Both of the guards caught what he was implying. Without a single word, both of them slipped back inside the room, quietly closing the balcony doors behind them. With them gone, the man began to calm himself from Rowan's foolish sentiments. He wasn't sure why the man's words had angered him so much… but he was full aware that for everything to begin to come together, he would need calm, rational mind.

A smile crept to his lips as his plan began to etch itself into is mind. It was perfect, every last detail researched to the fullest extent. Closing his eyes, the man began to visualize the Sinnoh region within his mind… but more importantly, three particular bodies of water: one to the far east of the region, one north, and one to the far west. Capturing the power that existed in those lakes were just one small step to his grand plan, but the very thought of them caused his crazed smile to grow wider. He could already taste the satisfaction of claiming such grand prizes for his own… and the best part was, that by the time the fools of Sinnoh realized what was going on, it would be too late.

After all, he had control of a mass force of mindless, obedient drones ready to do his every bidding… not to mention his top commanders. And if, by some far-fetched stretch of impossibility, someone did manage to stand in their path and defeat his pawns, there was still he himself to deal with. There was no hope for anyone in that back-water region. He could already see Rowan falling, bowing and begging for forgiveness for his foolish ways as he triumphantly began to lay his claim to the very world.

Suddenly, the man was snapped from his thoughts as he felt the vibration from a phone in his pocket.

"Yes?" he questioned, as he flipped it open.

"Sir, all preparations are complete. We're ready to head for Sinnoh at any time." A rather elegant female voice said on the other side.

He smirked. "Excellent. We leave at once."

Flipping the phone shut, he returned it to his pocket and took one final look out over the balcony.

He would succeed. His grand vision of his desired world come true. Cyrus swore upon it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Seems like we got some plot goin'! Read and review~


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

_A fierce wind blew through the area, sending shivers down my spine as I stared at the being in front of me. He was a fearsome creature… if it was a man… I couldn't tell. All I could make out were the evil, hate-filled eyes glaring at me with pure contempt. Chimchar was a mess. It had been badly beaten, and was struggling to keep from fainting. All my other Pokémon had been defeated. They all put up a brave front, but not a single one was able to defend themselves against his terrifying power._

_Others were there, too. Barry and his Piplup had tried to fight off the man as well, but they were defeated even faster than I was. Lucas stood nearby, clutching his pokéball closely to his chest… He was too afraid to even try battle against the creature._

_Putting my own safety aside, I ran to my Pokémon. Two others tried to stop me from running to the Chimchar, two figures I could not clearly make out. But I didn't listen. I didn't care about my safety anymore, just getting my Chimchar to safety before it fell to further harm. The being before us began to let out a monstrous laughter as I wrapped my arms protectively around its waist, attempting to pull the monkey to safety. The being knew we were powerless, and it seemed to find some sort of twisted pleasure from that fact._

"_Why are you doing this?" I shouted at the creature, demanding an answer. "What's the point of all this?"_

_He didn't answer. Instead the sky grew dark as two large shadows appeared beside him, one on each side. Their eyes began to glow a sinister red and a terrible beam of light shot from them. I clutched Chimchar, letting out a terrified scream as everything went black…_

* * *

><p>Dawn's eyes snapped open as she shot up in bed. Her pillow was soaked with sweat as she looked around. The faint, early morning sun was beginning to shine through the girl's window. At the bottom of her bed Chimchar slept peacefully, sprawled out with a small trail of drool escaping from its lips.<p>

Dawn fell back against her pillow, taking a deep breath as she gazed up at the ceiling.

"It was just a dream… A terrible, awful dream…" she whispered, running a hand through her hair in the process.

It terrified the girl. Having a nightmare was nothing new to the girl, but that one… it was more terrifying than anything she had dreamt before. And it felt so real…

Dawn shook her head, trying to push the thought of it to the back of her head. She was being silly. After all, it was just a dream… Silly, harmless, somewhat scary, but it was a dream nonetheless.

Lifting covers, Dawn slid out of bed and made to get ready for the day. She had quite a busy day ahead of herself, after all. The girl would also be lying if she said she wasn't curious to see what Professor Rowan had in store for she and Barry, and she was sure that the boy was probably the same way. In fact, knowing Barry he was probably too impatient about it to fall asleep. Thinking about such things brought a small smile to her lips as the girl hurried about to get ready.

After going about her morning routine and bidding a good-bye to her mother, Dawn left her house and made her way for Barry's. Wanting to avoid the incident that had happened on their way home the previous night, the girl had made sure to carry her Chimchar inside of its pokéball this time... although she made sure to carry the ball close as she walked.

Upon arriving at Barry's house, the girl hurriedly knocked on the door. She only waited a moment or two before the door swung open, and she was greeted by a blonde, middle-aged woman. Dawn smiled warmly.

"Oh good morning, Dawn! I see you're up early like Barry," she greeted.

"Yeah… We planned to go by Professor Rowan's to thank him again for our Pokémon," Dawn replied.

"Yes, yes… I know…" the boy's mother replied with a chuckle. "He's been going about it all morning! He eventually just took off, saying he'd wait for you at the edge of town."

Dawn gave a quick nod. "I see… Thanks for letting me know!"

Dawn bid the woman a quick farewell and made her way towards Barry's waiting spot. Dawn sighed as walked. She was not too surprised to learn that the boy had already left his house. A part of her wouldn't have been surprised if he was probably already banging on the Professor's front door.

Luckily, that was not the case. Just as the boy's mother had said, Barry was waiting for Dawn at the very spot where they had met Professor Rowan the previous day. He was busy rocking back and forth on the heels of his feet. In fact if Dawn didn't know any better, she could have sworn he was twitching in anticipation. She smiled as the boy suddenly looked up, a wide smile gracing his lips as he quickly ran towards the girl, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process.

"There you are! I was starting to wonder if you were gonna show up!" Barry greeted.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "My bad… I took the time to go by your house, thinking you'd still be there."

Barry seemed to ignore this as he looked around and suddenly leaned in close. "Look, here's the deal… I think we should bring the professor something when we go to see him."

Dawn looked at him curiously. "A gift, huh?"

"Exactly!" Barry shouted. He quickly covered his mouth and leaned in again. "Look, you've heard the story about the mirage Pokémon, right?"

Dawn looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded. "You mean that Pokémon they used to tell us stories about when we were in elementary school?"

Barry nodded. "That's the one! It's supposed to be at Lake Verity! Just imagine… If we bring him such a rare Pokémon, I bet he'd never be able to stop smiling! It's perfect!"

"Um… Barry, I don't thi—"

"Trust me on this! Have I ever steered you wrong?"

Before Dawn could give an answer to that, Barry had already taken hold of the girl's wrist and headed for the lake's entrance. She smiled weakly as she allowed the boy to pull her along. Surely, he'd realize an important fact in a few moments.

Upon arriving at the lake entrance, all was as it usually was… It was quiet, the sound of Starly happily chirping from their branches in the trees. A light breeze blew across the lake, ruffling through Barry's hair as the two stepped into the clearing.

Barry smiled excited as he faced Dawn. "Okay, this is gonna be easy! Let's get our Pokémon ready and do this thing! Let's roll out an—"

"Barry…" Dawn whispered, tugging on his sleeve.

The blonde boy stopped his rambling and turned to look in the direction that Dawn was pointing in. A strange man that neither of the teens had seen before was staring out at the lake in front of them. He had pointy, somewhat greasy, aqua-blue hair. He was wearing a strange silver and black suit, one that resembled something a character would wear in some cheesy sci-fi movie. He had pale skin, and dark circles under his eyes making it seem that he hadn't been a proper night's sleep in days.

The strange man was muttering to himself in a rather creepy manner. Dawn couldn't make it all out… only bits and pieces of it here or there; he mentioned something about power, the world, and Mespirit…

"Who is this weirdo?" Barry asked in a rather loud voice, looking curiously at the man.

Hearing the sudden the noise, the man turned and faced the two teens. A rather frightening expression was on his face, one that sent a shiver running down Dawn's spine. Once he realized it was only a pair of kids, his expression quickly changed to a more neutral one. Looking over his shoulder at the lake one final time, he began to walk towards the two teens and the lake's entrance.

Barry grabbed the pokéball around his belt, giving a rather-noticeable fake glare at the man. "Who are you? W-What are you doing here at the l-lake?"

"Out of my way, boy…" the man said in a deep, icy tone as he shoved past Barry.

Dawn quickly stood to the side as he passed. The man stopped for a moment as he passed, looking back at the girl out of the corner of his eye, before he exited the clearing and disappeared from sight. Upon his exit, Barry seemed to return back to his usual self. Dawn on the other hand… she still felt a bit uneasy. So much so that she still stared at the lake's entrance for a bit after he had left.

"Dawn? Earth to Dawn! Are you there?" Barry's called suddenly, snapping the girl from her thoughts. "You alright?"

Dawn nodded quickly. "I'm fine… Sorry about that."

Barry shrugged. "Whatever! Anyways, let's catch…"

The girl watched as her friend seemed to realize something very important. He began to feel around his belt, before a small blush slowly rose to his cheeks.

"Something wrong?" Dawn asked, a soft smile playing across her lips.

"Yeah, there is! We can't catch anything! We don't have any pokéballs!" the boy shouted in defeat. Dawn was doing everything she could at this point to keep from laughing as the poor boy's idea came crashing down around him. However, his eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh, well! Forget it! Let's just go, then. Maybe if we ask, Professor Rowan will give some pokéballs…"

Dawn sighed. "So we went from giving him something…. to asking for more?"

Dawn's question fell to deaf ears. "I'll race ya, Dawn! Last one to Sandgem Town owes the winner a million bucks!"

"H-Hey, Barry! Wait a minute!" the blue-haired girl protested.

But her protest fell to deaf ears. Barry was already out of the lake clearing and dashing for Sandgem like a maniac, leaving Dawn on her own once more. The girl rolled her eyes, and slowly started out of the clearing. If Barry wanted to run around like a lunatic, that was his business. Dawn was quite comfortable at walking to the town at her own pace.

As Dawn stepped out on to Route 201, she looked down at the pokéball in her hand. It wasn't going to be much fun just traveling around by her lonesome. Smiling, she was just about to press the button in the middle of the ball, when it suddenly snapped open on its own. The next thing Dawn knew, her Chimchar was jumping up and down in front of her with a rather excited grin on its face.

The teen looked at her Pokémon curiously. "I didn't let you out of your ball yet… But… Um, I guess… Lead on?"

Chimchar squealed in delight. Without a moment's hesitation, the monkey took off running into the tall grass. Dawn smiled weakly and chased after the creature. It was probably just happy to be out, wanting to explore and play much like it did when Dawn first took it to Twinleaf…

The girl couldn't have been further from the truth. By the time the girl and Pokémon had reached the small town of Sandgem, the bluenette was feeling a bit winded. She had found herself chasing the Chimchar the entire way, stopping only when it engaged a wild Bidoof or Starly in battle. It was definitely more than just a little playful and energetic… In fact, a part of Dawn felt that the creature was deliberately trying to stir up trouble. She certainly hoped that wasn't the case, that maybe it was just the Chimchar wanting to battle to become stronger instead.

Regardless, Dawn quickly made the decision that the Chimchar (as well as herself) could use a small break. She quickly returned the Chimchar to its pokéball and took a look around the town. A small smile graced her lips as she spotted a building with a red-orange roof, with a sign shaped like white pokéball hanging in the center of the roof.

"A Pokémon Center…" she whispered, quickly making her way to the building.

Dawn had actually never been inside one of them before. She was quite surprised to see that it looked incredibly similar to the inside of a hospital's lobby. There was a small computer sitting in the corner for public use, as well as several payphones. There were several couches and chairs sitting along the walls with magazines scattered about them. Dawn assumed they were amusement should someone end up being in the building for a long time.

"Excuse me, miss?" a voice called out, snapping Dawn back to reality. The blue-haired teen looked behind the counter to see a pink-haired woman wearing a nurse's uniform looking at her curiously. "Can I help you?"

Dawn nodded and quickly made her way towards the counter with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."

"It's no problem, dear," the nurse said with a smile. "Would you like me to heal you Pokémon?"

Dawn nodded, slowly handing her Chimchar's pokéball to the nurse behind the counter. She watched as the nurse took the ball and placed it inside of a strange machine. She hit a few buttons on the side of the device, causing it to light up and play a strange, almost melodic noise. Once the machine died down, the nurse removed the ball from the machine and quickly handed it back to Dawn.

"That was fast…" Dawn said, quite surprised.

The nurse smiled. "Oh, yes… We use only the state-of-the-art at Pokémon Centers! Very efficient, in and out, unless the damage is severe, anyways…"

Dawn nodded understandingly. The nurse bid her farewell, reminding her to come back again if she ever needed. From there, the girl stepped back outside and gave the town a good look around for the first time. She didn't see Barry anywhere, causing Dawn to wonder if he had already went home. Judging from his usual hurry, it was quite possible.

Regardless, the girl eventually spotted the building that happened to be Rowan's lab. Dawn quickly made her way towards the building and just began reaching for the door when it suddenly swung wide open on its own. Before she knew it something plowed right into the girl, causing her to flat on her backside.

"Oh, it's just you, Dawn!" a familiar voice called out.

Dawn looked up with a rather annoyed glare in her eyes. "Barry!"

She noticed he looked quite excited… even more so than usual. "Oh man, Dawn! You wouldn't believe me even if I told you!"

"Told me what?" Dawn asked as she rose to her feet, dusting off her pink skirt.

"I'm gonna be a trainer, Dawn! I'm gonna be a real trainer!" the boy announced.

Dawn brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, what?"

Barry was practically jumping up and down with excitement. "Just you wait, Dawn! I'll be the best trainer in the history of Sinnoh! No, wait! Of the entire world! I'm gonna be the next champion! And it all starts right now!"

Having told her… or rather, everyone in the town this new information, Barry took off running once more. This time however, he did not head in the direction of Twinleaf. Rather, he ran towards the north exit to the town. She had thought about going after the boy, when another voice got her attention.

"Oh, Dawn… You're here!" The girl turned to see Professor Rowan standing in the doorway looking at her with his usual stern face. "Would you mind stepping inside, please?"

Dawn obeyed and followed the professor inside. The building was full of various machines making various clicks and beeping noises. Several men and women in white lab coats were walking about, analyzing data on the machines and then quickly scribbling it down something on a clipboard. When the girl reached the back of the lab, she found not only Rowan waiting on her, but the boy that had been accompanying the other day as well.

"That boy… He's more excitable than a Primeape on a sugar rush…" Rowan mused.

"Yeah, sorry…" Dawn apologized. "I'm used it, but I guess he comes on a little strong to new people."

"Quite… Allow me to get to the point," the professor said quickly. Dawn nodded. "I'm sure as you realize, I'm not quite as young as I used to be. As time goes on, it becomes rather difficult for me to do the field work… That's why I have Lucas here."

The said boy looked over at Dawn and smiled.

"That said, I think it would not only benefit us, but also could do you some good if you were to aid us." Rowan explained.

Lucas gave the professor a confused look. "Sir…?"

The professor took a step forward, and looked Dawn in her eyes. "Dawn… Would you like to help me with my research?"

Dawn's eyes went wide. _"M-Me? The professor wants me to help him with his research? That means… This means I'd have to leave Twinleaf… and go all over Sinnoh like Rowan does now! This is the kind of chance I've been waiting for!"_

Dawn snapped back to reality. "So… What exactly would I have to do?"

The professor smiled as he reached into his pocket. Dawn watched as he slowly pulled out a small, red, handheld device. "You would need to use this… It's called a Pokédex. This device will basically record the data of the various Pokémon you encounter as you travel. In other words, just travel around Sinnoh and battle like any other trainer would. All I request is that you use the Pokédex to record all of the Pokémon as you travel."

"That's all?" Dawn asked in surprise. Lucas had been called his field assistant. The girl was expecting to help carry the professor's luggage and supplies around like the boy did when they first met.

"That's all," Rowan answered with a smile. "So… What do you say?"

Dawn eyed the Pokédex in his hand for a moment. She nodded and accepted the device with a smile on her face. The professor wasn't done there, however. He then reached into his other pocket and pulled out another Pokédex, handing this one to the boy.

"Professor...?" Lucas asked.

"You are a valuable assistant to my work, Lucas…" Professor Rowan began. "You deserve it."

The boy took the device from the professor's hand, looking rather moved. "Thank you, sir… I won't let you down."

"Excellent… Now go on, you two!" Rowan began. "The world of Pokémon is a vast and exciting world! I am always on your side. Don't be afraid to ask for my help."

The two teens thanked the professor and made their way out of the lab. It was early afternoon when they emerged from the building. Lucas smiled at Dawn, extending his hand quickly to the girl.

"I'm looking forward to working with you, Dawn," he said with a smile. "I bet we'll make a great team."

Dawn felt a smile as she took the boy's hand. Lucas gave it a firm shake.

"It's getting a bit late in the day now, though… You should probably let your parents know what's going on as well," he continued. He pointed across the street to a quaint, two level house much like Dawn's own. "How about we meet up tomorrow morning at my house?"

"Sounds good, Lucas. See you then," Dawn replied as the two parted ways.

Lucas headed for his house and Dawn made her way back to Twinleaf Town.

It didn't seem to take as long for the girl to get home as it did for her to get Sandgem. For one reason, Chimchar had remained inside of its ball. Another reason though, was the thought of how her mother would react to her news. She had told her that once she turned 14 and had her own Pokémon, that she'd be allowed to go on her journey. However at the same time, Dawn didn't think her mother would be expecting her to just up and leave like that. Dawn began to worry that the woman would be deeply upset, maybe to the point that she'd refuse to let her go.

The bluenette sighed, shaking the thought from her head. No, her mother would not do that. It wasn't her way. She took a deep breath as the small town came into view, and she slowly made her way home.

"_I want to do this… I've been waiting for this day for years... I can't stay here forever…"_

Dawn slowly made her way to the house and quietly stepped inside. It was quiet; something that was odd considering her mother was always home at this time of the day. Slipping out of her boots, Dawn stepped inside the living room and looked around.

"Mom? Are you home?" the girl called out.

"In here, honey!" the woman called from the kitchen.

Dawn quickly made her way into the room. She was quite surprised at the sight that awaited her when she came inside. A large banner was hanging from the ceiling with the words "Good Luck, Dawn!" painted in large, red letters. On the table set a freshly baked, delicious, chocolate cake.

"Mom…" Dawn called, her voice barely above a whisper. "What's all this? The cake and the banner…?"

Joanna smiled warmly, pulling her daughter into a close and sudden embrace. "This is your party, Dawn… Your congratulations/farewell party."

Dawn blinked in surprise. "What… You knew?"

"I knew the moment you showed me your Chimchar…" Joanna explained. "You're growing up, Dawn. You have your own life to live… You have your own dreams to pursue. I know that even though I am your mother, I can't keep you from that any longer…"

"Momma…" Dawn whispered, as she felt a lump forming in her throat.

Her mother chuckled, a sad smile on her lips as she looked away. "Don't be like that, now… You'll just make this harder for the both of us."

Dawn wiped her eyes and returned her mother's hug. They held the hug for a moment, before her mother finally broke it, wiping a stray tear from her eye. They both knew what the morning was going to bring, and they were ready.

"Now… Let's have some of this cake," Joanna suggested with a smile. "I've already packed your bag with the essentials you'll need for your journey. After we're done go see if there's anything else you'll need. Remember, to pack anything extra you may want, but travel light too…"

Dawn nodded and the two sat down to enjoy the cake her mother had baked. Once they were done, Dawn went up to her room to look things over. Just as she said, Joanna had packed all of Dawn's necessities for her journey into her bag. However, there was one item that was missing.

The girl walked over to her desk and opened the drawer up slowly. Inside, there were various pencils, pens, and papers. However, the one item Dawn was looking for was right in the middle. It was an old and worn diary. On the cover was a picture of Dawn and her mother. It was taken the day Dawn received her journal, back on her tenth birthday. The girl carefully picked the journal up and slipped it into her bag. She knew it would be a long journey, and she wanted to right down every detail that happened.

"Journey…" Dawn whispered to herself. "It's hard to believe it… This will be the last time I'm home… the last time I'm in this room for quite a long time… By this time tomorrow, I'll be a trainer."

The thought of that stayed with Dawn the remainder of the night. She quickly took her nightly shower, before climbing in bed. Thoughts of the adventures ahead stayed strong in her mind as sleep gradually overtook her.

* * *

><p>It was after midnight in Canalave City. The normally bustling port town was now calm, most of its citizens having stepped into dream land. The only sounds came from the melodic chirping of the Kricketune in cool night air.<p>

Suddenly in the still of the night, a small boat docked at one of the untaken piers. As if on cue, several police officers suddenly made their way to the dock. They all saluted as a lone figure stepped off the boat, making his way to the pier. He was a tall, middle-aged man with short, black hair. He wore a brown, three-piece suit and a light-tan trench coat. The man looked around at the various officers and gave a quiet nod.

"You may be at ease, men," the coat-wearing man said.

One of the officers made their way towards the newcomer and gave a firm nod. "Welcome, sir. I trust you know the full situation at hand?"

"Yes. I have been busy with reviewing all the information during my traveling," the coated man replied. "The stealing of Pokémon… The strange buildings that have been being built… It is all too much to be of the coincidence. Something is definitely afoot in the Sinnoh region… And I, Officer Looker, shall be getting to the bottom of it. I am resting my badge upon it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I spent a lot of time getting this chapter going. I dunno why, really. Once I got it started the rest just flowed, but... Anyways, I'm good with this chapter now that it's done. I wanna thank "I Dream Of Utopia", for providing the only review this story has gotten. I appreciate that you're enjoying it. Like usual, do the "Double R-Thing"... By which I mean, read and review, please. See you guys in chapter four, or anything else I decide to crank out on the side.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Cynthia was busy going through her bag one final time, making sure she had everything she would need for her trip away from the league. The Sinnoh champion was going to most likely be gone for some time, so it was quite important that she make sure she had everything she needed. A sudden knock at the door jarred the girl from her thoughts as she packed.

"You may enter," the woman called out. She looked over her shoulder as the door slid open, seeming a bit surprised as an old woman slowly made her way inside. "Bertha… I'm surprised to see you up so early."

"Now, child… I simply thought I would see you off before your trip," the older woman replied as she stepped into the room.

"How kind… But, that's not it alone… is it?" Cynthia smiled softly, glancing up at the woman with a knowing, yet curious expression on her face.

Bertha sighed at the blonde's question. "You've always been quite skilled at reading people... It's about your trip."

This fully caught the blonde's attention. She slowly walked with Bertha towards a set of armchairs in her room. Both women took a seat in the chairs, Cynthia crossing her arms and gazing at the Elite Four member calmly.

"What's this all about, Bertha?" Cynthia inquired.

"I'm sure as you know, Lucian had discussed the matter with me earlier…" Bertha began. "And, much like you both determined the other day, I agree that your services are most likely not in any immediate need, child…"

"However…?" Cynthia asked, obvious to the fact that Bertha was going somewhere with this.

"However… We want to make clear that should a need for your services become immediately needed… that you will return…" Bertha explained. "I know you are eager to begin your trip. But you are still the Sinnoh League champion. As such, we expect you to still fulfill your duties…"

Cynthia nodded. "Bertha, I am fully aware of what is expected of me. However, if that is all you had to tell me…"

"Not quite, child…" Bertha replied, chuckling at the blonde's enthusiasm to get on her way. "I'm afraid there's one more thing left for you to do before you can leave."

"One more thing?" the champion asked. "I thought Lucian was to settle any technicalities or problems that arose…"

"And he has done his job well," Bertha explained. "Something ended coming last minute, something that requires your attention as well."

Cynthia watched as the woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, white piece of paper. The blonde noticed the official seal on the bottom of the paper… the official seal of the Pokémon League, to be exact. A small frown graced her features as Bertha slowly reached out toward her, allowing the champion to take it from her hand. Cynthia looked at the old woman curiously, before settling down to read carefully.

"Bertha… what is this?" the woman asked, her eyes never leaving the paper.

"A precaution… Are you familiar with Alder, the champion of the Unova region?" Bertha inquired. Cynthia nodded. "Like you are about to do, he often leaves the league from time to time travel about. At first, it wasn't a concern… but at times, it began to develop a bit of a problem for the League. Imagine what would happen if a trainer had managed to defeat the Elite Four, and then there was no champion for them to fight? I'm sure it would cause quite a mess…"

"Go on…" Cynthia said quietly, still looking over the paper.

"So, basically, the Unova League came up with this document," Bertha explained. "Basically, this form will say, with your permission of course, that someone will be allowed to act as a 'temporary champion' in your absence…" Bertha paused, rubbing her forehead slowly. "There is a catch, however… If you fail to return to the League, your position as the champion will be suspended…"

Cynthia's eyes widened upon that information. It was… quite sudden and somewhat alarming that they were being that thorough in handling her departure. It was almost as if they were afraid that she would not be returning. Part of her understood… Her plans to travel around Sinnoh were more than likely shaking things up a bit. However at the same time, a part of her was quite offended by the notion.

Her look betrayed her feelings though, as she remained calm when looking back at the Elite Four member.

"I assure you, I have no intention of abandoning my position, Bertha…" Cynthia began. The older woman handed her a pen with a soft smile. "I will return, I swear upon it."

Bertha watched quietly as Cynthia signed the form. She hated having to do this. Even when Cynthia was preparing to finally get the chance to experience life as herself… not as a champion, the pressures of her title were pushing down upon her. She was snapped from her thoughts as the Cynthia handed her the paper back, a smile gracing the woman's lips.

"I believe that takes care of everything?" Cynthia asked.

"Yes… I will leave you to yourself, child." Bertha replied. The old woman rose from her chair and began to make her way out of the door. She paused only one more time, looking over her shoulder at Cynthia. "Enjoy your trip, child… Please, keep in touch."

Cynthia nodded as the woman exited the room. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back, gazing up at the ceiling in the room. For a moment, she had thought about what it would be like if she simply decided not to come back… She chuckled at the thought and shook her head, before rising to her feet to check her packing one final time.

* * *

><p>"Take care of yourself, Dawn," Joanna said as she handed the blue-haired girl her bag. "Remember, I'm only a phone call away!"<p>

Dawn smiled as she took her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "I know, mom… Don't worry! I'll call you soon!"

With that simple passing of words, Dawn and her mother parted ways. It was calm, and relaxing… In some ways, it kind of surprised the teen. She was expecting the good-bye to play out like her good-luck party had played out. However at the same time, she was glad it didn't. She wanted to leave with spirits high, and that's just how she did.

However, aside from that the morning had started off a bit odd. As Dawn was eating a quick breakfast, Barry's mother suddenly came by. She explained that during the previous night, the blonde boy had called her from Jubilife City, going on about he was going to travel around Sinnoh as the greatest trainer that had ever lived. She seemed to be quite calm about receiving sudden news like that. Dawn imagined that if she had done the same to her mother, the woman would have run to Jubilife herself and drug her back by the roots of her hair. All that Barry's mother had told him over the phone was to be careful, stay out of trouble, and call back every now and again. However, there was one problem to be taken care of… which is why she came to Dawn's house so early in the morning.

It seemed that in his usual rush, Barry had ended up forgetting several important things… namely, his clothes and other various and important items. Naturally, it was placed upon Dawn to deliver them to the boy who had told his mother he'd wait in the city for a bit, saying he was going to grab some quick tips at the trainer's school there.

As one could expect, this irritated Dawn quite a bit. The girl's plan had been to travel light, after all. Now, once again, the bluenette found herself having to deal with the grief of Barry's hyperactive tendencies. Dawn took a deep breath and pushed her annoyance to the back of her mind. She did not want to be in a bad mood when she met up with Lucas in Sandgem, after all.

After the hour walk on Route 201 between Twinleaf and Sandgem, Dawn found herself at the front porch of Lucas' house. With a smile, the fourteen year old knocked lightly on the door. The door creaked open slowly, but Dawn didn't see anyone standing inside… that is, until she looked down and noticed a small girl with brown hair staring back up at her. Dawn smiled softly at the little girl, crouching down to her level.

"Um… Hi, there! Is Lucas home?" she inquired in her greeting.

The little girl blinked slowly, before quickly slamming the door in Dawn's face. The bluenette stared at the front door quietly, eyes wide as she wondered what had just happened. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long as the door quickly opened up again. This time, Lucas was standing in the doorway instead of the small child. A light blush was on his cheeks as he stepped outside, shutting the door behind him quickly.

"Sorry about that…" Lucas apologized. "You know how kids are, right?"

"Y-Yeah… No problem," Dawn replied. Truth be told, she had never seen a kid do that before. "It was just a bit unexpected, that's all."

Lucas rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he stepped off the porch. "Well, are you ready? I've already got all my things."

Dawn nodded, and the two were off on their way. She followed the boy towards the north edge of town, the direction she had seen Barry running off to the previous day. She watched as Lucas made his way towards the tall grass, pulling a pokéball off of his belt as he did so. He turned around and looked back at Dawn.

"So… How about we start off with catching some Pokémon?" Lucas inquired. "After all, the only thing better than one Pokémon is two of them!"

Dawn nodded, following the boy into the tall grass. She watched as the boy pressed a button on the ball, causing it to snap open and release a Turtwig in a flash of light. Dawn smiled, realizing that Rowan must have given him the last Pokémon from his briefcase.

"Alright, so the first thing you need to do is make sure you're Pokémon is ready… It's kind of hard to go at it alone, you know," Lucas began. "You'll want to use your Pokémon to weaken the wild Pokémon in battle, that way they'll be easier to catch."

Dawn watched curiously as Lucas got quiet, looking around in the tall grass carefully. Suddenly, the boy's eyes lit up and he pointed drastically towards the left. As if contacting the Turtwig mentally, the turtle Pokémon took off charging in the direction Lucas pointed. The creature suddenly charged straight into an unsuspecting Bidoof, causing it to fall back and glare at the turtle. It was quite interesting watching the passion with which Lucas battled the Pokémon... It sort of reminded her of the battle she and Barry had had the other day.

"Alright, way to go!" Lucas suddenly shouted, snapping Dawn out of her daze. He smiled as he looked over his shoulder at the girl. "Now that we've got it weak, we throw the ball and catch it!"

Lucas took an empty pokéball from around his belt and threw at the weakened Bidoof as hard as he could. Dawn watched as the ball smacked into the creature and then bouncing up into the air. The ball snapped opening, surrounding the Bidoof in a flash of red light before pulling the creature inside. The ball then snapped close and fell to the ground. Both of the teens were quiet as they watched the pokéball begin to shake. One final, red light flashed in the center of the ball, before the shaking stopped.

Lucas smiled brightly, patting his Turtwig on the head. "Alright, we caught it! Good job, boy!"

"Um… Thanks for showing me how it's done," Dawn said, watching as Lucas walked forward to collect his new Bidoof.

"No problem!" the boy replied as he made his way back towards Dawn. "After all, we're both going to be working together to help Professor Rowan with his work. We have to look out for each other, you know?"

Dawn nodded in response, happy with the fact that Lucas was so open to working together. A part of her was afraid that he would have been somewhat like Barry, dashing off and leaving her alone to handle things, maybe even going as far as to declare her as his rival. She watched as the boy called the Turtwig back into its pokéball, before hooking it back on his belt along with his new Bidoof. The boy then opened his travel bag, and began to rummage around for something inside. Dawn watched as he pulled out a small bag and then handed it to her.

"Pokéballs?" Dawn asked.

Lucas nodded. "Yep, five to help you get started."

Dawn smiled brightly, gladly accepting the boy's gift. "Thanks, Lucas! I'll definitely do my best!"

The dark-haired boy nodded. "So, is there anything else you want to know?"

Dawn began to think if there was anything in particular she needed to know. She was quite familiar with most of the technical points of being a trainer, things such as grooming, feeding, and taking care of Pokémon. She also had experienced battles with other trainers first-hand the other day with Barry. If anything the girl just really lacked experience, something she was sure she would pick up as she journeyed across Sinnoh.

"I think I'll be fine…" Dawn replied. Suddenly, a curious thought entered her mind. After Lucas had caught the Bidoof, he thanked his Turtwig for the help, but he specifically mentioned that it was a boy… at least, that's what he called it. "Wait, I do have one… How did you know your Turtwig was a boy?"

Lucas blinked at the question. "Well, I meant more about the basics of catching, but… I scanned him with my Pokédex… One of its features is that it shows you what gender a Pokémon you've caught is."

Dawn nodded, chuckling a bit. "I see. Then, that's all I had to ask."

Lucas nodded and pulled a map out of his bag. He opened up, waving for Dawn to come over and look at it with him.

"Okay, the first thing we should do is head to Jubilife City…" Lucas explained, pointing a bit north of their current location on the map. "It's not too far here… just a hours or so north."

"I see…" Dawn said with a sigh, reminded of the fact she happened to be carrying an extra load because of a certain blonde boy. "I need to see Barry anyways…"

"Do you wanna go together?" Lucas asked. "I don't mind traveling along with you."

Dawn smiled at the kind gesture, but shook her head slowly. "Nah, that's okay. I want to get a feel for things myself."

"Alright then…" Lucas replied, putting his map away. "I'll meet you at the entrance when you get to town then. Take care."

Dawn waved to the boy as he walked away. The boy sounded a bit let down, but Dawn knew he understood. Besides, chances were the two would parting ways soon enough when they reached the city. With both of them doing research for Rowan, it would have been much more logical for the two to split up anyways. Besides, there was something Dawn was curious to find out…

Without wasting a further moment, the bluenette took Chimchar's pokéball and let the creature out before her. The monkey squealed in delight as it looked up at Dawn, a bright smile on its face. Dawn couldn't help, but smile back at it as she reached into her bag and pulled out her Pokédex. She knelt down beside the Chimchar, and held the handheld device in front of it. With the push of a button, the device quickly began to scan the monkey. Dawn stared at the screen in amazement as all this different information began to display about her Pokémon.

"Hmmm… Says here you're a female…" Dawn mused. Chimchar looked at the girl curiously, tilting her head to the side. "Um… That is… You're… like me," the girl explained pointing to Chimchar and then back to herself.

The Chimchar smiled once more, repeating Dawn's gesture of pointing to herself and then the teen. Dawn wasn't quite sure if her Pokémon understood what she meant or not, but she smiled back at the monkey just the same. Rising to her feet, Dawn gave a determined look to her Pokémon.

"Alright then, our journey officially begins now! Are you ready, Chimchar?" Dawn asked. The monkey squealed and gave an equally determined look back to her trainer. "Let's get moving then!"

* * *

><p>Inside a dark and damp cave, a girl watched intently as a Machop slammed his fist into a nearby rock repeatedly. The girl was young, probably in her early teens at the latest. She was a little on the short side with a thin, yet fit build. The girl had bright pink, short hair with eyes of the same color. She was wearing a strange outfit… It consisted of a pair of white athletic pants with pink stripes down the sides of the legs. She also wore a black and blue tank top, with a matching pair of fingerless gloves on her hands. She had several oddly placed bandages on her body, one on her right forearm, and another one across the bridge of her nose. The girl had decided to forgo footwear, leaving them bare instead.<p>

"You're doing great! Just one more set, alright?" the pink haired youth shouted to her Pokémon.

Machop gave firm nod. Balling his hand into a fist, the Machop charged forward and slammed it into a large mound of rock. Maylene sighed as she watched, closing her eyes as she began to lose herself in thought.

"_I wonder how everyone is doing back home? I bet grandpa is probably upset with me, but… No, no… I'm sure he understands. He must know that I'm just not ready yet. It is a big step, after all… He would not want me to take such a step unless I was truly ready. I need to become stronger first."_

The girl was snapped from her thought process as Machop let out an eager yell. Her eyes snapped open as the Machop slammed into the rock more time. Several large cracks began to form into the rock, before the top half crumbled apart into several smaller rocks. The pink haired girl smiled as she rose to her feet and began to walk towards the Machop. She patted him proudly on the shoulder, causing the Pokémon to look up at her attentively.

"Great work today, Machop! You're definitely getting a lot better!" the girl encouraged happily. Machop gave a proud smile to the girl. Looking up to the sky, the girl noticed the setting sun and pulled out a pokéball from around her waist. "I think that's gonna do it, get some rest."

The girl called Machop back into the pokéball, and then went to collect her bag before heading out of the cave. Maylene had been quite happy with the effort her Pokémon had been putting in lately. She had been concerned at first; worried that she was pushing them too hard. They took to the increased training regimens well though, and for that Maylene was quite relieved. Feeling a chill in the air, the girl quickened her pace into a light jog as she made her way towards Jubilife City with hopes of making it by nightfall.

* * *

><p>Night had just begun by when Dawn found herself standing before quite a large city with numerous and dazzling lights dancing about before her. Traveling along Route 202 had been quite a bit different than her trips along Route 201. Not only had the girl had to deal with wild Pokémon, but other trainers were also along the path as well. The bluenette quickly learned that fighting battles against other trainers could be quite different than battling against Barry. They fought with different levels of intensity… some of them battling just for the sport of it, while others fought with their sights only set on victory alone.<p>

Dawn wasn't sure how, but together she and Chimchar had managed to win all of their battles… something she was quite proud of. However when it came to wild Pokémon, Dawn had not been so lucky. During the walk, she had encountered two Bidoof and a Starly. Dawn had failed to catch all three, despite her earnest attempts. It was rather disheartening, but Dawn refused to let it get her down. It was all part of the trainer experience, after all… and she was sure she would get another chance at it sooner or later.

Besides it was quite hard to feel down when the girl was suddenly feeling so excited, even when the fatigue from all the walking. Compared to Twinleaf and Sandgem, Jubilife looked like an entirely different world! Seeing a town such as this made her realize just how much of Sinnoh there truly was for her to see and now she had the opportunity to do just that.

"Dawn, you're here!" a familiar voice called out.

Dawn snapped out of thoughts at the mention of her name. "H-Huh, what?"

Lucas smiled as he ran towards the girl. "Pretty impressive, huh? I remember I was like that when I first came here."

"You've been here before, Lucas?" the girl asked curiously.

"Heh… of course!" Lucas answered. "I am Professor Rowan's assistant, after all. So I have been to a few parts of Sinnoh with him."

"I see…" Dawn smiled.

"Oh, yeah! Speaking of the professor, as a favor for helping his research, he booked us a room to stay at in the hotel here," Lucas said with a grin. A light blush graced his cheeks as he scratched his cheek. "I guess I forgot to mention that earlier…"

Dawn's eyes lit up. As much as she was looking forward to the real trainer experience, a nice warm bed was something she wouldn't mind having tonight. Professor Rowan was definitely a lot nicer than he looked. She made a mental note to thank the man upon their next meeting.

"Alright, then. Let's get going so I can freshen up a bit," Dawn said with a smile. "Oh, and I still need to find Barry too…"

Lucas smiled. "Hah… Alright then, follow me."

The two quickly made their way towards a quaint little hotel not far from the city's entrance. There several people gathered inside the lobby, some busy checking and some checking out. The two teens made their way towards counter to check in for the night. As Lucas spoke with the woman behind the counter, Dawn couldn't help, but begin to feel like a pair of eyes were on her. The girl slowly looked over her shoulder, just in time to see a tall man in a brown suit quickly turn the page of his newspaper, coughing lightly as he did so.

Before she could put too much thought into it, Lucas informed her that the rooms were ready. She smiled at the boy, following him upstairs towards the hallway which contained their rooms. Once there, the two teens bid good-night to each other before disappearing into the rooms, which happened to be across the hall from each other.

It was a quaint room, warm and inviting with adequate light and a comfortable bed. Dawn sighed happily as she dropped her bags onto the bed, and quickly made her way for the bathroom where a nice, warm shower was calling her name.

It was a little after nine o' clock when the girl finished her shower. She had debated calling it an early night, but for some reason she just wasn't feeling tired after the bath. After thinking about it for a moment, the blue-haired girl decided to redress and take a look around the city for a bit. She grabbed Chimchar's pokéball and was back outside within fifteen minutes.

Taking a look around the busy city, Dawn realized that she hadn't taken her Chimchar to a Pokémon Center in some time… at least, not since she arrived in the city. The Pokémon had done quite a bit of battling on the way to the city... She was sure the monkey wouldn't mind a quick refresh. Spotting the familiar orange-red roof, Dawn quickly made her way towards her destination. The girl looked around as she walked, admiring the tall buildings as she neared the door. Unfortunately, the bluenette was so absorbed in her sightseeing that she failed to notice the door of the Pokémon Center opening. The blue-haired girl was suddenly jarred from her daze as she felt herself collide with another body. Dawn lost her balance from the bumping, quickly falling backwards and landing on her backside.

"Ow… Barry!" the girl found herself shouting upon impulse. "You know this is getting just a little…"

The girl stopped mid-sentence as she opened her eyes. Dawn felt an embarrassed blush grace her cheeks as she looked up to see a girl her age with pink hair glancing back at her with a confused look in her eyes. The bluenette gasped and quickly rose to her feet.

"Oh… Oh! I'm sorry, I really am…" Dawn began, "I wasn't paying attention… and I thought you were someone else… I'm really sorry… A-Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about it! I'm fine," the pink-haired girl replied, chuckling at Dawn's rapid apology. "It was my fault, anyways… Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" Dawn replied.

The pink-haired girl smiled as she held the door open for Dawn. The Twinleaf trainer thanked the girl, though not without apologizing one more time, before she made her way inside the center. She didn't stay in the center long. The girl was in quite a hurry to look around more in the city… although this time when she left, she made sure to pay more attention to where she was going. As she looked about, her eyes happened to catch sight of an impressive-looking building with a large television screen in the middle of it.

Dawn was about to make her way towards the building, when she felt the pokéball in her hand begin to shake around. Without warning, the ball burst open and the girl's Chimchar was now jumping up and down excitedly in front of her. Dawn stared at the creature in shock, wondering how in the world it managed to come out of the ball without her sending the monkey out herself.

The girl didn't have long to think though. Before she knew it, the monkey took off running down the street, squealing in delight… much like it had when she first brought it to Twinleaf Town. Dawn cursed under her breath as she chased after the monkey.

"Chimchar! Stop, come back!" she commanded.

The monkey didn't listen though. She was much too busy exploring every unfamiliar object she came upon. The Chimchar would stop just long enough to sniff around and poke at things that she hadn't seen before, just long enough for Dawn to get close, before she would suddenly jump and run off again… much to the blue-haired girl's dismay. If Dawn didn't know any better, she would've sworn the Chimchar was teasing her.

"Chimchar, that's enough!" Dawn called out.

The monkey only squealed though as she ran into a crowd of people, disappearing from Dawn's sight all together. Her stomach quickly began to knot up as she ran across the street after her Pokémon. She quickly gave half-hearted apologies as she shoved by various people, looking around all over for the monkey… But Chimchar was nowhere to be found.

"Chimchar!" Dawn called out. "Chimchar, where are you?"

Dawn groaned. _"Oh, no… This town is huge too… How am I going to find her?"_

The blue-hair girl quickly shook her head. She couldn't give up now. She was the Chimchar's trainer. She had to take responsibility and find her! Looking around, the girl spotted a man dressed in black and red with short hair. She nodded as she ran towards the man, determining that she had better start asking around if anyone had seen her Chimchar.

"Excuse me, sir!" Dawn called out. The man looked up at her as she stopped in front of him, a blank expression on his face. "Sir… Have you seen a Chimchar run by here?"

The man shook his head, not saying a word. Dawn frowned, her worry growing.

"I see… Sorry I wasted your time," she said quickly, turning to look for someone else to ask.

Suddenly, the man reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "Wait a minute… Did you say Chimchar?"

The girl nodded quickly. "Yes! Have you seen her?"

"Yes… I saw one come down this way," the man looked over his shoulder toward an alley he had been standing in front of.

Dawn stepped closer towards the alley, looking down its dark and faintly lit pathway. She then turned toward the man, truly examining his features. He was a pale man... and his hair-style was quite odd upon closer inspection as well, standing straight-up in a spiky, unkempt style, with a rather messy, long beard on his chin as well…

Dawn found herself slowly backing away. "Y-You know what? I think I'll go ask someone else…"

Dawn didn't get far though, before the man grabbed her by the wrist and began to drag her down the alley behind him. The teen tried to resist, but the man was much stronger than he appeared. The more the girl struggled, the more he tightened his grip upon the girl.

"Don't fight it, kid!" the man sneered, laughing as Dawn tried to break away.

However before the man had the chance to do anything else, a fiery-orange creature leapt out and latched itself onto the man's head. This managed to distract the man long enough for Dawn to slip from his grasp. Once the girl had managed to put a bit of distance between herself and the man, she turned to see her Chimchar leap off the man's shoulders and face him with an angry look on her face. The man growled and began to move forward. The man seemed to be quite angry, so much so that the anger blinded him to Chimchar leaping back and blowing a small line of fire from her mouth. The man barely managed to leap back, cursing as some of the sparks from the flame landed upon his arm. Dawn sighed in relief as the man jumped back, happy to see that her Pokémon was alright and that she herself was safe as well.

"You little brat!" the man shouted, glaring at the girl and her Pokémon. "Don't think you're gettin' out of this yet!"

Normally, Dawn would have been quite frightened. However, seeing the fierce look on Chimchar's face… It seemed to awaken a sense of confidence in the girl.

She gave the man a stern look. "I-I'm not scared of you!"

The strange man laughed. "We'll see about that!"

The duo watched as the man pulled a pokéball out from his belt and sent a Pokémon out at them. A foul odor filled the air as a skunk-like creature stood in front of the man, giving Chimchar a fierce and determined glare. Dawn cringed as the smell filled the air, but her Pokémon seemed to ignore the smell, a look of excitement shining in her eyes.

"Stunky! Scratch attack!" the man shouted to his Pokémon.

"Chimchar, jump back and dodge!" Dawn shouted to the monkey.

The skunk charged toward the Chimchar, swiping at her with its razor-sharp claws. Chimchar followed through with Dawn's command, managing to dodge the skunks attack with ease. Not wasting a single second, Dawn quickly issued the Chimchar to attack with a Scratch attack of her own. The monkey Pokémon struck the Stunky with quick precision, sending it flying back a bit.

"Why you little… Stunky! Use your Fury Swipes!"

"Chimchar, use Ember!"

The Stunky charged forward towards Chimchar once again. Its claws began to glow with a bright, white light. As it charged, Chimchar quickly shot a small burst of flame from her mouth, encircling the skunk Pokémon and causing it to stagger to the ground.

"Stunky, get up!" his trainer shouted.

The Stunky slowly tried to climb to its feet, but as it did a small scorch of flames ignited around it. Chimchar's Ember attack had burned it!

"Quick, Chimchar! Finish it off with another Scratch!" Dawn shouted.

The monkey screeched and charged forward. The Stunky's trainer was livid, screaming at the creature to get up and move, but the skunk Pokémon just could not seem to find the strength. It was helpless as Chimchar slammed her nails into the skunk, sending it flying back to its owner. The creature looked up one more time at Dawn and her Chimchar, before it collapsed… fainting on the spot.

Dawn cheered as the skunk was engulfed in a ball of light, being returned to its pokéball. "Alright! You're the best, Chimchar!"

"You snot-nosed little brat!" the man shouted in anger. "You think that thing is gonna stop me!"

Dawn stopped her celebration to the see the man reach into his pocket and pull out a gun. He aimed the pistol in Dawn's direction as he slowly walked forward, literally foaming at the mouth as he glared at the girl and her Pokémon. Dawn was beginning to wonder if the man was completely insane.

"W-What are you doing?" Dawn shouted as she stared at the man in shock. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Shut up!" the man snapped, moving his aim from the girl to the Chimchar. "Call it back, or I'll make sure it NEVER battles again! I ain't afraid to blow it and you to Hell and back!"

Dawn began to panic as watched the scene unfold. Chimchar seemed ready to attack the man again. She was about to charge the man, when Dawn quickly wrapped her arms around the Pokémon's waist, pulling it back against her chest.

"_Crap! Is this really it? Why didn't I just go to bed? We're both about to die, and it's all my fault!"_

"Riolu! Force Palm!"

A sudden voice snapped Dawn from her thoughts as a shock wave of energy shot past her and crashed into the armed thug. The man fell back, landing hard into several trash cans that were located nearby. Dawn's eyes opened wide as she spun around to see the pink haired girl she had bumped into at the Pokémon Center standing behind her! A small, yet fierce, blue-colored, dog-like creature stood in front of her. Several people began to gather behind the pink-haired girl, looking at the scene in confusion.

They stared at the scene in shock, various questions being asked as the pink-haired girl moved quickly to Dawn's side, helping her up to her feet.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked Dawn.

Dawn gave a quick nod.

The pink-haired girl sighed in relief. "Good… Come on, let's get out of here."

Dawn didn't argue as the girl led her by the hand out of the alley. Her Riolu and Dawn's Chimchar followed close behind. A shiver rand down Dawn's spine as she thought about the events that had just happened. Even though it was because of her Chimchar this happened, the bluenette was happy that the monkey Pokémon had shown up when she did… She hated to think about what could have happened if she didn't… as well as the other girl. Dawn glanced over at the girl, her eyes widened a bit as she recognized her as the person she had bumped into earlier at the Pokémon Center. Dawn looked at the curiously… She had the feeling she had seen this girl somewhere before, but the bluenette couldn't put her finger on it…

Suddenly the sound of a police siren filled the air, snapping the teen from her thoughts. Two men in blue jumped out of the squad car, one running into the alley to apprehend the man that had attacked Dawn, the other running towards her and the pink-haired girl.

"Are you alright?" the police officer asked, looking over Dawn and the other girl carefully. "We had received reports of a shady character and a young girl involved in quite a commotion over here… Was that you?"

Dawn nodded slowly. "Y-Yes, sir."

"I see…" the police officer replied, adjusting the brim of his hat. "Then I'm going to need to ask both of you girls to come to the station."

Dawn's eyes went wide. "W-What? Am I being arrested?"

The officer burst out laughing at the girl's sudden question. "No, no… Nothing like that. I just need you both to come to help fill out a report. That's all."

Dawn sighed in relief, although she was a bit embarrassed about her question…

* * *

><p>A yawn escaped Looker's lips as he stood slowly, stretching his back out in the process. He was sure that the hotel would make a fantastic place to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious this afternoon. There had been no one of such a nature to appear inside the hotel or around its premises for that matter. Whether or not he was grateful for that, Looker wasn't sure. At the very least it meant that Jubilife was secure from <em>their<em> grasp… at least for the time being.

"I suppose I should just turn in… Get a fresh starting in the morning…" the man mused. He was about to head for the elevator when he heard a small buzzing in his ear. Quietly, the detective walked around the corner to ensure his privacy. He subtly flipped the collar of his trench coat up, bringing it up to his mouth. "Proceed."

"_There seems to have been an incident with two young girls, sir…" _a voice explained into his ear.

Looker raised an eyebrow. Perhaps he had just been staking out the wrong place. "Go on…"

Looker listened carefully as the informer filled him in on the situation. His hopes on finding a lead diminished when he learned that it was nothing more than a botched mugging. There was no way Team Galactic would have bothered themselves to mess with just one girl. However, he would be lying if he said he wasn't interested… especially when learning how easily the blue-haired girl, who had been identified as a rookie trainer from Twinleaf Town, had defended herself against the man in battle.

"I believe I would like to arrange a visiting with this young lady…" Looker mused.

"_Yes, sir. She has claimed to be staying at the same hotel you currently are…"_

"It's good to hear that. I shall be waiting for her hear then," Looker confirmed.

* * *

><p>It was a little after eleven at night when Dawn and the pink-haired girl stepped out of the police station. The police officers who arrived at the scene at the incident just did some light questioning of the girls, mainly wanting to know the full scope of the situation. Dawn explained it all a few times, mainly because of the officers wanting to make sure they had everything down as accurate as possible. Once the questioning was done, a quick check-up was done to make sure that both girls were unharmed physically, before they were finally released for the evening. The pink-haired girl had decided to escort Dawn towards the hotel, making sure that she would get there alright.<p>

"This certainly was an interesting evening…" the pink-haired girl mused a light-hearted chuckle. "If someone would've told me that I'd be doing something like this, I would've probably called them a liar."

Dawn smiled weakly at the girl's comment. She was quite grateful for the girl's presence, realizing that there was a good chance she wouldn't have been standing here now without her aid…

Without wasting another step, the bluenette spun around and looked the girl in the eyes. A light blush rose to the pink-haired girl's face.

"What is it? Is there something on my face…?" she asked.

Dawn shook her head. "No… I need to thank you. You really saved me back there… um…"

The pink-haired girl smiled. "Maylene. My name is Maylene." She held out her hand.

Slowly, Dawn took the hand and Maylene shook it firmly. "I'm Dawn."

The two continued to make small-talk on their way towards the hotel. Dawn explained all the different things she had been experiencing, informing Maylene of how she had just started her journey. Maylene discussed how she had been on a training journey herself… although she was a little vague on most of the details. Before Dawn knew it, she was back at the hotel… almost forgetting all about the incident earlier in the night.

"Well… I guess you're pretty tired…" Maylene began. "Maybe I'll see you around some time. Take care of yourself, Dawn."

The pink-haired girl turned and began to make her way away from the hotel. Dawn's eyes narrowed as she watched the girl walked, a sudden idea popping into her head.

"Maylene, wait!" the bluenette called out, causing said-girl to stop and look over her shoulder. "Aren't you staying in the hotel?"

Maylene smiled and shook her head. "No… I usually spend my nights under the stars."

A light smile graced Dawn's lips as she quickly walked over towards the girl. "Then why don't you stay the night in my room with me?"

Maylene's eyes widened at the sudden invitation. "No, no… I couldn't do that."

"I insist!" Dawn replied. "It's the least I could do for you."

Maylene tried to protest once more, but Dawn would not hear of it. Before she knew it, the bluenette was dragging her into the hotel's lobby… and Maylene had to admit, a good night's sleep in a warm bed with a shower in the morning didn't sound too terrible.

Looker was starting to feel drowsy as he sat in the chair. Realizing just how late it was, the man had decided that he would try to catch the girl in the morning, and head to bed for the evening. However just as he began to stand from his chair, the hotel doors opened and in stepped in two girls.

The one he took immediate notice of was the blue-haired teen. She was just as his informant described her, dressed in a black top with a pink skirt, white hat, and red scarf…

Watching as the two boarded the elevator, Looker quickly rose to his feet and followed them. He managed to make it inside just as the doors shut. Dawn quickly pressed the button of the floor her room was located, Looker following suit by pressing one of his own. The ride up was rather quiet. Dawn looked watched the man out of the corner of her eye, recognizing him as the man she had seen earlier in the evening. She began to feel awkward glancing at the man, wondering if the man had been there all along. Maylene must have made note of this, as she casually put her hand on one of the pokéballs around her belt.

Not wanting to cause a ruckus, Looker quickly took action.

"Relax, girls… I am meaning you no harm," he said quietly.

Dawn blinked slowly, looking up at the tall man. "What… Who are you?"

The man repositioned himself, making sure the elevator camera wasn't on him at a compromising angle. He quickly flashed open the left side of his coat, revealing to the two girls a rather shiny and impressive looking badge.

Bringing his coat back down, he returned to face the doors as they slid open. "I was hoping that I could perhaps have a moment of your time. Not tonight, as it is quite late… Perhaps a time for talking tomorrow… In broad daylight if that would give you a feeling of more comfort."

With that he exited the elevator, leaving Dawn and Maylene on their own. There was something very different about that man. That much was sure. Part of his behavior made Dawn very curious… However he also seemed a bit shady, something that made Dawn more than a bit uncomfortable considering what had happened earlier.

She was snapped out of her thoughts as the elevator "dinged", the doors sliding open once again. Dawn walked briskly out of the elevator with Maylene, neither girl stopping until they were safely inside Dawn's room. Dawn sighed in relief to be inside the room, kicking her boots off at the door before walking to bed and flopping on top of it. She hadn't fully realized it until just now, but she was quite tired…

"So… What are you gonna do?" Maylene asked, sitting on the end of the bed.

"Hmm…?" Dawn asked, looking over at the pink-haired girl.

"About that guy… Are you gonna go talk to him?" she asked.

Dawn rolled over, looking up at the ceiling as she thought it over. She remembered back at the station, one of the officers mentioned that they needed to inform the boss about something… and then that guy showed up in the elevator with the badge… It was possible that the man in brown was that guy they were mentioning…

She glanced over as she felt a new weight on the bed. A small, tired smile graced her lips as she noticed Maylene stretched out beside her, already snoozing away. Dawn yawned as she rolled over and faced the wall.

Deciding to leave the bedside lamp on low, Dawn closed her eyes and began to succumb to sleep. She wasn't sure what she would do tomorrow… Instead, she simply deciding that she would handle it then… tomorrow.


End file.
